New Top Level Domains - In Plain English

Hopefully this post is going to explain exactly what is going to happen and how you can benefit

You may or may not have heard about a revolution that is going to happen with top level domain names in the next 12 months. This post is going to explain exactly what is going to happen. In plain english if we can!

SummaryICANN (The people who control the top level domain name law across most of the world) have decided that we need more of them as we might run out. A top level domain is ".com", ".co.uk", ".info" etc. It is actually more important than that but this is one of the primary reasons.

What is going to be available?1000s of TLDs (Top Level Domains) are going to be rolled out, not all at the same time though. ICANN are being more thorough than the last time it released new TLDs. A few examples of the TLDs that are going to be available are:

Benefits of a new top level domain like thisThere are some great benefits, as an example. If you are a hotel in London then you could potentially buy the domain name "www.london.hotel" - As Google ranks the top level domain as a high priority then your Google rankings could be right up there.

Another example, let's say you are a photographer based in Peterborough, you could quite easily secure the domain name "www.peterborough.photography"

The Internet will changeAs these are rolled out we are going to see a change in both marketing and search behaviour, where as before you primarily looked at searching in a more generic way, you will start to search on location and business type. This is where these top level domains will excel.

It's a slow processThe releasing of the top level domains is being done very carefully, gone are the days of domain name squatters holding businesses to ransom. There is 3 stages (periods) in place:

SunriseThis period is where a top level domain becomes available for businesses who hold trademarks and is registered at the trademark clearing house. Sunrise lasts for 60 days from when the domain is available

LandrushThe domain name is on sale to everyone but they are expensive and have been identified as being a "premium" domain name. When we talk about expensive, it could be anything up to £50,000. Landrush is going to last around 30 days.

General AvailibilityThis is where the prices are now inline with standard domain names, domain names can be bought on a first come first serve basis. If you try and buy a domain name that has been identified as a trademark then the original requester will be notified and you may not be able to purchase it.

Right - Do I get my wallet out and start buying?Hold on! First have a think about what you intend to do with your new domain name. Are you going to use it for legitimate business reasons? Maybe you want to sell it in the future? Domains can be expensive, have a think about whether it will give you a return on investment.

I still don't get it!Not a problem, luckily we do at Pebble and we can get you all sorted out. The best thing to do is learn a little more, we have a TLD video you can watch below:

We can help you to register your interest in a new domain name, you can speak to one of the team on 01733 367799 or fill out our contact form if you are a little shy.

New Top Level Domains - In Plain EnglishNew Top Level Domains - In Plain EnglishHopefully this post is going to explain exactly what is going to happen and how you can benefit

You may or may not have heard about a revolution that is going to happen with top level domain names in the next 12 months. This post is going to explain exactly what is going to happen. In plain english if we can!

SummaryICANN (The people who control the top level domain name law across most of the world) have decided that we need more of them as we might run out. A top level domain is ".com", ".co.uk", ".info" etc. It is actually more important than that but this is one of the primary reasons.

What is going to be available?1000s of TLDs (Top Level Domains) are going to be rolled out, not all at the same time though. ICANN are being more thorough than the last time it released new TLDs. A few examples of the TLDs that are going to be available are:

Benefits of a new top level domain like thisThere are some great benefits, as an example. If you are a hotel in London then you could potentially buy the domain name "www.london.hotel" - As Google ranks the top level domain as a high priority then your Google rankings could be right up there.

Another example, let's say you are a photographer based in Peterborough, you could quite easily secure the domain name "www.peterborough.photography"

The Internet will changeAs these are rolled out we are going to see a change in both marketing and search behaviour, where as before you primarily looked at searching in a more generic way, you will start to search on location and business type. This is where these top level domains will excel.

It's a slow processThe releasing of the top level domains is being done very carefully, gone are the days of domain name squatters holding businesses to ransom. There is 3 stages (periods) in place:

SunriseThis period is where a top level domain becomes available for businesses who hold trademarks and is registered at the trademark clearing house. Sunrise lasts for 60 days from when the domain is available

LandrushThe domain name is on sale to everyone but they are expensive and have been identified as being a "premium" domain name. When we talk about expensive, it could be anything up to £50,000. Landrush is going to last around 30 days.

General AvailibilityThis is where the prices are now inline with standard domain names, domain names can be bought on a first come first serve basis. If you try and buy a domain name that has been identified as a trademark then the original requester will be notified and you may not be able to purchase it.

Right - Do I get my wallet out and start buying?Hold on! First have a think about what you intend to do with your new domain name. Are you going to use it for legitimate business reasons? Maybe you want to sell it in the future? Domains can be expensive, have a think about whether it will give you a return on investment.

I still don't get it!Not a problem, luckily we do at Pebble and we can get you all sorted out. The best thing to do is learn a little more, we have a TLD video you can watch below:

We can help you to register your interest in a new domain name, you can speak to one of the team on 01733 367799 or fill out our contact form if you are a little shy.